Gonzaga Mashes Maryland 100-61, Advances to Players Era Festival Championship
One night after shooting 6-for-22 from deep, No. 12 Gonzaga (7-0) had one of the best performances from beyond the arc in program history, connecting on 14 three-pointers as it cruised to a 100-61 victory against Maryland, advancing to the championship game of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas against No. 7 Michigan.
The most made three-pointers by GU in a game is 18, which came against Portland on January 29, 2022. Against the Terrapins, the Zags started 13-of-25 from downtown, and they still had over 11 minutes to go for the school record. They shot 1-for-8 on threes from that point on, but had the sizable lead and freedom to do whatever they wished, which was the case for essentially the entire contest. With the Zags’ depth, defense, and dominance scoring inside, the biggest question for them was being able to hit shots from the outside consistently, and they took a gigantic step in the right direction Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 20-point lead within the first 12 minutes, as Maryland offered little resistance against Gonzaga’s offensive sets. Shooting 58 percent from the field in the game, the sheer number of wide-open looks the Zags were able to create was staggering, and the team completely capitalized on their opportunities. The Terps play the gaps aggressively, collapsing on the ball when it moves around, and the Bulldogs used it against them. When post doubles were sent against Graham Ike and Braden Huff, they immediately kicked it to their open teammates on the perimeter, who made Maryland pay on the pseudo practice shots.
Huff led the way in scoring with 20 points while Ike added 13. Mario Saint-Supéry was heavily involved in distributing the rock, as he tallied nine dimes in his third start of the season as the team’s point guard. His mix of smooth passing ability and confidence with the ball in his hands makes for a fast offensive attack.
Of their first six made three-pointers, each one was attributed to a different Bulldog. From Adam Miller drilling a shot coming off a down screen to Ike knocking one down from the top of the key as the trail man, there was no shortage of Zags who didn’t join in on the three-point barrage. But the player who led the way in this measure was an unlikely source – Emmanuel Innocenti.
Heralded for his defense, Innocenti fits into the bucket of long, athletic wings whose main task is to be a pest with their back to the basket. But different from a Jalen Warley – who is yet to attempt a three this season – Innocenti can perhaps earn more playing time if he proves to be a capable offensive option, specifically a viable weapon when asked to catch-and-shoot. Last season, he shot just 29 percent from three on 34 attempts. After netting five of his seven attempts against the Terps, Innocenti is up to 9-for-19 from downtown already this season.
He's been putting the work in and is now beginning to reap the benefits.
“We've been working hard on it every day. Get ready, feet ready, hands ready,” Innocenti said. “I take the open shots. My teammates did a great job to find me when I was open.”
Based on Innocenti’s fluid form, his shot would start to fall at any moment, according to his head coach.
“He's got a beautiful shot, one of the best shots on the team. I mean, it's just a matter of time before the dam broke, because he's been putting his reps in,” Mark Few said. “Every time he shoots, it looks like it's going in.”
In addition to Innocenti, Steele Venters was the only other Bulldog to hit multiple threes. The 6-7 guard hit four of his seven attempts from beyond the arc en route to a 14-point night. Venters has now stacked back-to-back games of being effective from long range, which is a good sign for the graduate student who hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season.
Aside from a five-minute stretch where Maryland cut the lead to nine in the first half, GU was in cruise control for most of the contest. They dished out 30 assists, limited the Terps to just 38 percent shooting, and forced 18 turnovers. It was a clean showing against a solid opponent, something that Few has been preaching to his squad.
“I spend a lot of time talking to these guys about just making the right basketball play… Maryland had our full attention because they're really handsy, and they're in the gaps, and they kind of chunk it up. They try to switch a lot of actions, and sometimes that can get you to just kind of stop and not do your normal movements or your normal actions,” Few explained. “And I think these guys did a really nice job of just playing the game the right way and finding those.”
The Zags have defeated the likes of Alabama and Maryland by a combined 49 points over the past two nights, setting them up for a matchup with No. 7 Michigan on Wednesday, November 26, at 6:30 PM PT in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Barring Kentucky or UCLA drastically moving up the AP Poll in the coming weeks, the Wolverines will be GU’s highest-ranked opponent on their regular-season schedule. It is sure to be a heavyweight fight, as both teams boast a ferocious frontline, and they are set to square off for a $1 million prize that will go to the winner’s NIL funds.
“It's gonna be a battle down low tomorrow, I think we're excited for the challenge,” Braden Huff said. “I think we feel like we've got a really good front line ourselves, so it's gonna be a fun battle.”
